Variety for security: A case study of agricultural, nutritional and dietary diversity among smallholder farmers in Western Kenya

Transcription

1 Variety for security: A case study of agricultural, nutritional and dietary diversity among smallholder farmers in Western Kenya Mary Kanui PhD Candidate School of Geography & the Environment University of Oxford LCIRAH Seminar, 10 th January 2014

2 Outline 1. Background 2. Objectives 3. Methods 4. Completed research: results 4.1 Market agrobiodiversity (3 points) 4.2 Farm agrobiodiversity (2 points) 5. Upcoming research: overview 5.1 On-farm nutrient diversity 5.2 Gender & dietary diversity 6. Conclusions & recommendations 2

3 1. Agrobiodiversity as a path to household food security? Food security: food availability, access, utilization Agrobiodiversity: components of biodiversity of relevance to food & agriculture In Africa, up to 80% of agriculture practised by smallholder farmers To what extent does agrobiodiversity contribute to food, nutrition & health? 3

4 1. Agrobiodiversity-Kenyan context Species numbers ~35,000 animal, plant and micro-organism species 3 sustaining species: maize, wheat, rice (Ekesa, 2009) High food shortfalls and malnutrition rate Yet local agrobiodiversity under-utilized as primary food security resource (Frison et al., 2006) Western Kenya: High agrobiodiversity But 50% population below poverty line with high malnutrition and poor health (Abukutsa-Onyango, 2002) 4

5 2. Objectives Food accessibility & market integration Crop diversity & underlying factors On-farm nutrient diversity (plant & animals) On-farm dietary diversity between genders 5

6 3. Methods (for completed research) Farm surveys Goals: ABD richness, abundance& usage Time: Sep-Oct & Nov-Dec 2012 Scope: 30 farms in 6 villages Market surveys Goal: food sources, prices & availability Time: Sep-Oct 2012 Scope: 7 markets 6

7 3. Study sites 7

8 4 Completed research 4.1 Market agrobiodiversity 4.2 Farm agrobiodiversity 8

9 4 Completed research 4.1 Market agrobiodiversity 4.2 Farm agrobiodiversity 9

10 4.1.1 What is the role of markets in household food access? Food sources in Mumias district Food sources in Vihiga district Food group Farm Market Family & friends Total Farm Market Family & friends Total * * * * * * * * * * * * 10

11 4.1.2 What are the uses of on-farm produce? On-farm food use in Mumias district On-farm food use in Vihiga district Food group Home consumption Informal market Formal market Total Home consumption Informal market Formal market Total 11

12 4.1.3 What is the extent of smallholder market integration? Out of the interviewed market traders: 15%: own production 10%: primary middlemen 75%: secondary middlemen 12

13 4.1 Market agrobiodiversity: Summary Smallholders access food from multiple sources Smallholders produce food for both home consumption and for sale Smallholders are least involved as sellers in formal markets 13

14 4 Completed research 4.1 Market agrobiodiversity 4.2 Farm agrobiodiversity 14

15 4 Completed research 4.1 Market agrobiodiversity 4.2 Farm agrobiodiversity 15

16 4.2.1 Farm agrobiodiversity: most common plant species Brassica oleracea Vigna unguiculata Zea mays Sorghum bicolor Vegetables Cereals Saccharum officinarum L. Sweets Persea americana Fruits Musa sapientum Ipomoea batatas Capsicum annum Phaseolus vulgaris Arachis hypogaea Starchy roots Spices Pulses 16

17 4.2.1 How crop diversity varies: timepoints & agro-ecological zones Summed Dominance Ratio (SDR) between September- October 2012 Vihiga Mumias Cereals Starchy roots/ tubers/green bananas Vegetables Fruits Pulses/nuts/seeds 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Sweets Spices/condiments Summed Dominance Ratio (SDR) between November- December 2012 Vihiga Mumias 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Cereals Starchy roots/tubers/green bananas Vegetables Fruits Pulses/nuts/seeds Sweets Spices/condiments 17

18 4.2.2 Factors influencing species richness Stepwise multiple regression analysis Positively influenced: Age of household heads Negatively influenced: Migration of either husband or wife Independent variables significant at p<0.05, with standardized beta coefficient (with non-standardized beta coefficient in brackets) as: (0.354), (-5.415) 18

19 4.2 Farm agrobiodiversity: Summary Importance of some food groups varies with agro-ecological zones Species richness is influenced by socioeconomic factors 19

20 5 Upcoming research 5.1 On-farm nutrient diversity 5.2 Gender & dietary diversity 20

21 5 Upcoming research 5.1 On-farm nutrient diversity 5.2 Gender & dietary diversity 21

22 5.1 On-farm nutrient diversity Species richness explains taxonomic identity, not functional identity Nutritional functional diversity metrics: Summarize nutritional diversity of cropping systems Previous studies: Presence/absence-based functional diversity metric (Remans et al., 2011, DeClerck et al., 2011) Gap on abundance-based functional diversity metric Modified Functional Attribute Diversity (MFAD) metric (Schmera et al., 2009) To fill gap: available data on crop abundance, livestock diversity and uses, income ranges 22

23 5.1 On-farm nutritional diversity: key questions What nutrients are available and what are missing for smallholders to meet a balanced diet? Using market price as proxy for food accessibility, how does food accessibility compare to income levels? 23

24 5 Upcoming research 5.1 On-farm nutrient diversity 5.2 Gender & dietary diversity 24

25 5 Upcoming research 5.1 On-farm nutrient diversity 5.2 Gender & dietary diversity 25

26 5.2 Gender and dietary diversity Households with higher incomes can compensate for reduced onfarm agrobiodiversity......but depends on who controls the income Subsistence-oriented crops viewed as women s domestic domain On-farm cultivation of nutritious foods doesn t translate to equal food access for all household members 26

27 5.2 Gender & dietary diversity: key questions How does on-farm crop diversity vary between female and male headed households? Is there a relationship between agricultural and dietary diversity among these households? 27

28 6. Conclusions & recommendations Diversified food products are required to achieve dietary diversity, food and nutrition security. Smallholder farmers utilize multiple channels to attain household food security. Different food procurement channels need equal consideration in extension, research and development. 28

29 Acknowledgements Supervisors: Sources of funding: Tuition funding at Oxford: Rhodes Trust Project funding at Bioversity (for completed research):giz-bmz Smallholder farmers & market traders Local administration & contact persons 29

30 Thank you 30